Police Chief Steve Conrad said this week that police need the community's help to make Louisville safer.

A leader of a local organization said he is working to do just that.

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"I know of two shootings that took place, where they were prior fist fights a few days ahead of the shooting, so someone beat somebody up and someone came back with a gun a week later," said Rev. Jerald Muhammad.

One of those shootings Jerald Muhammad is referring to ended up being deadly.

Keith Otis, 55, was shot and killed in the parking lot of Club Cedar back in October.

Maurice deal is now charged with his murder.

"So if there could of been some intervention in both of these cases, it could have prevented two shootings here in our city," Muhammad said.

That's why "Brothers helping Brothers" believes the "Squash the beef hotline" can be the go-between that can stop situations from escalating into gun violence.

It's a community effort and that's what Conrad believes will help with Louisville's high homicide rate.

"People are going to have to work with us. Violence is not just a police problem it's a community problem. We're all in this together and we've got to come together to try and make these neighborhoods safer," said Conrad on Monday in an interview.

"We've gotten about four or five calls in about 30 days and we're beginning to work on some things," said Muhammad.

Those calls, he said, are from concerned parents and friends.

He plans on meeting with them in the next few days to talk about the conflicts they are seeing in the community.

"Sometimes it is simple things like online arguments, we're finding that with young people, a lot of disagreements are actually starting on Facebook," said Muhammad.